1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to horizontal hinged door assemblies such as cellar or bulk head doors having sidewalls and, in particular, to such door assemblies made of a polymer which are strong, durable, attractive, virtually maintenance free, easily assembled, have connection and anchorage points which allow the door assembly to be used over a wide temperature range without damage to the polymer parts making up the assembly and which has an opening preferably in one or both of the sidewalls for inserts such as a window, louver, screen or blank and which insert may be easily changed for the purpose of providing light, ventilation, or security.
2. Description of Related Art
Cellars doors are very well known and provide access directly from the basement to the outdoors for homes and other buildings. Cellar doors are very useful because they open the basement to a number of opportunities including a basement exit in case of emergency, worker access to mechanical equipment without entering the main level of the building, and the ability to move large furniture and equipment, bulky appliances and patio furniture easily to and from the basement.
Typically, the cellar door is made of metal and a number of cellar doors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,067,453; 4,104,761; 4,873,791; 5,040,269; and 5,600,921. A fiberglass bulk head door assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,925. All the above patents are hereby incorporated by reference.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,925, supra, the prior art cellar doors fabricated from wood or steel have certain disadvantages such as rotting or rusting which is also accelerated when the door is in a shaded or damp location. The deterioration of the door causes several problems including water leakage and the door becoming unsightly and, eventually, the building owner must replace the cellar door assembly at a considerable expense.
Another problem of cellar doors is that they do not provide exposure to the outdoors which exposure is desirable for enabling a person in the opening covered by the door to see out the door and for providing light and ventilation to the basement.
While polymer (plastic) cellar doors are desirable because they are resistant to deterioration, they pose the problem that exposure to the elements may damage the relatively fragile polymer door. Also, expansion and contraction of the polymer during changes in temperature may cause cracking of polymer components of the door especially at anchor and assembly points.